"I want to say something bad," the rapper jokes in an exclusive clip shared with Billboard.
Instead of singing hit songs, Ludacris is cooking up international cuisine. Billboard has an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming season of Luda Can't Cook (Feb. 15), in which the rapper turned aspiring chef will face off with chefs Alain Lemaire, Seung Hee Lee and Michael Beltran to improve his culinary skills from around the world.
In one hourlong episode of the show, Timbaland asserts that Luda can cook, despite its title being true before the show debuted. According to the exclusive sneak peek above provided to Billboard, Luda tells the hip-hop legend that he and he alone are capable of being brutally honest after serving up a plate of Cuban-inspired chicken chicharrones.
Tamb and his pal crunch into the tasty snack and chew thoughtfully before giving it a score of 8.5 out of 10 for only oversalting the food. “I’m in awe, ’cause I want to say something bad,” he jokes. “But I can’t. If y’all haven’t tried this boy’s cooking, I suggest you do.”
In Luda Can't Cook, the 44-year-old artist is teamed with chef Meherwan Irani in an attempt to master Indian cuisine. Produced by Ludacris and Will Packer, the show debuted last year as a one-off special. It all began because he has always loved food, but has never really been good at cooking - something he's resolved to change.
“I put 100% into everything I do, including learning how to cook, and exploring different cuisines from across the globe with world-renowned chefs has been incredible,” Ludacris said in a statement. “I’m excited for viewers to experience Haitian, Korean and Cuban food with me – and see how I put my own style into each dish.”
Apart from being able to learn from renowned chefs, the series will also see Ludacris traveling to Florida and Georgia to engage with cultural diversity and serve food to special guests, including chef Edward Lee, comedian Lil Duval, and author Lorena Garcia.
“After the success of Luda Can’t Cook the first time around, we knew we had to bring Ludacris back for more,” said Courtney White, Discovery Inc. Food Network president, in a statement. “He is up for any challenge and combining his passion for food and learning unexpected new skills is so entertaining to watch. He is determined to master cuisines from around the globe – and we are thrilled to join him for the ride.”
The premiere of Luda Can't Cook will take place on Feb. 15 on Discovery+.